New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-17
MUGWUMPS AND CLEVELAND.
KEEN CHARACTERIzATIoNs OF BOTH.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT REsTATEs HIS yIE"sfoh inN
BENEFIT OF WHOM 1T MAY CONCERN
To the EdftOr Of Th Trfbune
SIR; As the final clauses Of my speech oelore 'n'
Eederal Climb seem to have been incorrectly iepo'c'
Mt least as regards the words, although on e'o
nav sentiments were pretty well preserves, take inc
hertv Of sending ycu the notes from which that por
hon of the speech was made Yours tr& Ryyosvvr1r.
Ne1- York, May IS, 1887
For many of the Independents, them nave notnlng
but the kindest feelings Heartily respect 'lei anu
am genuinely sorry that their way "io Nv -''-e0'
of the Republican party ~
.,u ra are other independents, socaed whom IL u
siclt TO regard acting in good faith 1nese MAKE
nm the mendacous and hysterieal variety OF mug Jump
hbey are the OF purely personal pontics' VINO a
fairly servile In their adulaton OF MI Cleveland auu
ebose only other political principle Is that OF haueu "
kbe Rembljcan party. Many of them are editors VINO
acclaim against partsanshp, and are themselves more
heoted partisans than any regular party hc Ahey 'A
overmuch Of political honesty; and they reserve ther
most rancorous maevolenco for honest men VINO ouer
from them on public questions. Funny enough there Is
criously feminine cast TO their sonr spiteIuhess'
theirs ia not the anger of men; 1t is the shr1 hgh-
nftohed yoube chding Of the virago and the common
Kcold The keynote of all they write Is Dtter Perso
snalignity; they assai all who differ from them WIN
avery weapon that be forged out OF mean nnuehdo
and falsehood and this from behind the shield
of ANONYMOUS journalism. They pose as the especlal
champions of public purity and in reality by their ever
lasting sneerng and belttlng Of decent men, they DO
oil in their power TO degrade and reduce our potc u
e very leve they attack an honest zoe WIN inc
same ABUSE they shower on an Alderman who mas JUST
been sent 20 Sing Sing and characters against which
thew dare not urge anything specific they seek to backen
by studied and unendng misrepresentation and nsnua
hor.
Such men make Mr. Cleveland into fetish they pra'e
about carrying their sovereignty under their own mats
~ rudpr no N
sent They even alude to him as being great nan-"
misuse of terms which is certainly comcaL
Now right here will say frankly that II the Deinoc
,acv nsi be I'm power would rather haveit under the
leadership Of Mr. Cleveland but 1t Is folly not 10 look AT
him as what he is. He is not Mugr unp Presidents VIC
have had but two such-Tyler and Andrew Johnson
who were both as complete failures as Presidents must be
who attempt to carry on the Government by system OF
personal, as distinguished from party, politics. Mr.
cleveland partisan Democrat who tries to keep the
smaller or Independent wing Of his followers devoted 10
him By a loud promise and small performance Of civil
Service Reform; and he succeeds because many lnde
pendents apparently feel themselves obliged to JUSTIFY
their past course by exravagant praise of any good he
Goes and silence to the bad of which he Is guilty
They put practice the wicked partner theory wch
Messrs. Spenlow and Jorldn in Dickenss novel hrst
immoualized Any good the Administration does Is
promptly credited to him personally; any bad to his
wicked Democratic subordinates. Now either he must
receive both the praise and the blame else neither
II MI Fairchds honesty and skill were to his Deneht
personally then he must also be credited with Mr.
yilass cynical profession of adherence 10 the Spots
system and disregard of all principles OF ClV service
Reforu and with the gross scandals that nave marIed
Mr.. Garlands fane and indeed the retention Oh uuo
latter gentleman in the Cabinet In spite OF MS ran
Electric record is scandal and an outrage upon decent
sentiment that cannot be too strongly cOnueheI ne
Republican tradtions the other departments as whole
shoW a very marked falling or compared TO what they
were under Republican rule ,,.
on the Civi Service Reform question the A9mnisTa-
ton like has halted between two burdens ne
Independents are loudly in favor OF the REFORM anu 'ey
are very influential in New YORK anO MASSACHUSETTS,
hut the Democrats throughout the country are against
H. as witness Indiana, where the Democrats ueieateu
Civ Service Reform bill that the Republicans iaForod
our own state where the Democrats nave just atenP
Ia the Civil Service law and have been ueIeaeu W
the Republicans; and Kentucky, where the nhterato
lust declared against the whole system Acc0ruIhgy
lhe Administration has treated the reform sentiment as
being Ike malaria, only formidable III lOcalues ana
while paying some although not oVerhuchl Hee 10 ~
In New York and Massachusetts, have bandly turned
Maryland and Indiana over 10 the spOIshei anu ia
nsed the Indian service small change WheTe"In 70
bepay Senatorial favOIs. The Interior Department anu
SsO that OF the Postmaste enera have been larry sur
rendered the sposmen. The phrase offensive partisan
has become byword; for ii has been construed 10
hean a speak on the stump as Inuch AZ ne
oeases provided only he absains from cricislng the
Administration; the pretencc OF fairness has been
sham for side has been allowed 10 90 almost WHAT IL
wished, and the other has been usqudnheu Iom oNon
Expressing an opinion. - -. ,.o,s
The Administration has passed through more IMAM nan
is term of office; and already II has naoe ehahsS VI
Sver half the composition Of the Civil Service Inc
Dhanges steadily the whole tIne by inc emu OF
Mr. Clevelands term, unless there is "a radical anu
ABSOLUTE alteration i'll his pOhcy tne puDnc service WIZ
be partisan and Democratic as u WouIu
have had he made clean sweep from the pseh
hing; and clean sweep would at least have had 'ho
Advantage of not being piece OF sheer hypocrisy
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D,ruIpn uINcrTpy u IN TOWN